Galatians 3
Wycliffe's Bible
1O! unwitty Galatians [O! ye witless men of Galatia], before whose eyes Jesus Christ is exiled, (or is condemned), and is crucified in you, who hath deceived you, that ye obey not to truth? (O! foolish Galatians, before whom Jesus was shown to be condemned, and crucified, who hath deceived you, so that ye do not obey the truth?) 2This only I desire to learn of you, whether ye have received the Spirit of the works of the law, or of hearing of belief? (I only desire to learn this from you, did ye receive the Spirit by doing the works of the Law, or by hearing and believing?) 3So ye be fools, that when ye have begun in Spirit (because what ye have begun in the Spirit), [now] ye be ended in (the) flesh. 4So great things, (or So many things), ye have suffered without cause, (or without any reason, or for any purpose), if it be without cause. 5He that giveth to you [the] Spirit, and worketh virtues in you, whether of works of the law, or of hearing of belief? [Therefore he that giveth to you the spirit, and worketh virtues in you, whether of the works of the law, or of hearing of faith?] (Giveth he the Spirit to you, and worketh works of power among you, because of ye doing the works of the Law, or because of ye hearing and believing?)

6As it is written, Abraham believed to God, and it was reckoned to him to rightwiseness. 7And therefore know ye, that these that be of belief, be the sons of Abraham. [+Therefore know ye, that they that be of faith, they be the sons of Abraham.] 8And the scripture seeing afar, that God justifieth the heathen of belief [Forsooth the scripture purveying, for God justifieth of faith heathen men], told before to Abraham, That in thee all the heathen, (or all the folks), shall be blessed. (And the Scripture seeing afar off, that God justifieth the Gentiles by faith, said ahead of time to Abraham, Through thee all the nations and all the peoples shall be blessed.) 9And therefore these that be of belief [Therefore they that be of faith] (And so they who be of the faith/they who have faith), shall be blessed with faithful Abraham.

10For all that be of the works of the law, be under (a) curse; for it is written, Each man is cursed, that abideth not, (or that dwelleth not), in all (the) things that be written in the Book of the Law, to do those things. 11And that no man is justified in the law before God, it is open, for a rightful man liveth of belief. [Forsooth for no man is justified in the law with God, it is known, for a rightful man liveth by faith.] 12But the law is not of belief (But the Law is not a matter of faith), but he that doeth those things of the law, shall live in them. 13But Christ again-bought us, (or delivered us), from the curse of the law (But the Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the Law), and was made accursed for us; for it is written, Each man is cursed that hangeth in the tree; 14that among the heathen the blessing of Abraham were made in Jesus Christ, that we receive the promise of (the) Spirit through belief. [that the blessing of Abraham in heathen men should be made in Christ Jesus, that we take the promise of (the) Spirit by faith.] (so that among the Gentiles the blessing of Abraham came through, or by, Jesus Christ, and so we receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.)

15Brethren, I say after man, no man despiseth the testament, (or the covenant), of a man that is confirmed, or ordaineth above, (or can add, or subtract), [(any) other thing]. 16The promises were said to Abraham and to his seed; he saith not, In [the] seeds, as in many, but as in one, And to thy seed, that is, Christ (the Messiah). 17But I say, this testament is confirmed of God (But I say, this covenant is confirmed by God); the law that was made after four hundred and thirty years, maketh not the testament (in) vain to void away the promise [maketh (it) not void for to do away the promise]. 18For if [the] heritage were of the law, it were not now of (the) promise (For if the inheritance is by the Law, it is not by the Promise). But God granted, (or gave), to Abraham through (the) promise.

19What then the law? [What therefore profiteth the law?] It was set for trespassing, till the seed came, to whom he had made the promise. Which law was ordained by angels, in the hand of a mediator. 20But a mediator is not of one. But God is one. 21Is then the law against the promises of God? God forbid. For if the law were given, that might quicken, verily were rightfulness of (the) law [verily rightwiseness were of (the) law] (For if a law had been given, that could enliven, or that could give life, then truly righteousness would have come from keeping, or obeying, the Law). 22But the scripture hath concluded all things under sin, (so) that the promise of the faith of Jesus Christ were given to them that believe.

23And before that belief came, they were kept under the law, enclosed into that belief that was to be showed. [Forsooth before that the faith came, we were kept under the law, shut together into that faith that was to be showed.] 24And so the law was our under-master in Christ, that we be justified of belief. [+Therefore the law was our little master, (or our teacher,) in Christ, that we be justified of faith.] (And so the Law was our tutor in the Messiah, so that we would be justified through faith.) 25But after that belief came, we be not now under the under-master. [But after that the faith came, now we be not under the little master, (or under the teacher).] (But now that faith hath come, we be not under the tutor any longer.) 26For all ye be the children of God through the belief of Jesus Christ. [For all ye be the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus.] (For all of ye be God’s children through faith in the Messiah Jesus.) 27For all ye that be baptized, be clothed with Christ. (For all of ye who be baptized, be clothed with the Messiah.) 28There is no Jew, nor Greek, no bondman, nor free man, no male, nor female; for all ye be one in Christ Jesus (for all of ye be one in the Messiah Jesus). 29And if ye be one in Jesus Christ, then ye be the seed of Abraham, and heirs by (the) promise.

WYCLIFFE’S BIBLE

Comprising of
Wycliffe’s Old Testament

and

Wycliffe’s New Testament
(Revised Edition)


Translated by

JOHN WYCLIFFE
and JOHN PURVEY


A modern-spelling edition of their
14TH century Middle English translation,
the first complete English vernacular version,
with an Introduction by

TERENCE P. NOBLE

Used by Permission

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